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THE FUTURE OF HOME COOKING – 3D FOOD PRINTERS

I’ve decided to end my blog and blow your minds with what might be. This post is about the FUTURE!

Being able to print your lunch out from a printer sounds like science fiction doesn’t it? Well it is, the idea was first introduced to the public in Star Trek: the next generation but could become a reality thanks to NASA. The space travel agency has just given a grant to a mechanical engineer of $125,000 US dollars to produce a prototype of a food printer that creates edible food, or to them a ‘universal food synthesizer’!

NASA aims to use this technology to provide astronauts with food on long distance expeditions such as their ‘mission to mars’ projects. The engineer, of this fantastical machinery has higher hopes for it. By cutting down on wastage the food printer could be the answer to the increasing food shortage problems that loom in the future.

The software for the printer is based on the ‘Mendal’ 3D printer and the concept is using the basic building blocks of food; carbohydrates, protein and fats to form replaceable powder printer cartridges to form food. By combining the cartridges you have the potential to make many different types of food. What makes this system so good for space agents is the lifespan of the food is up to 30 years!

The creator of this futuristic machine has already proved himself by printing chocolate and is setting his sights on printing pizza next. The idea is the machine will print a layer of dough, which will be cooked while being printed. Then the dough will be coated in a tomato paste by mixing tomato powder with oil and water and being printed onto it. The topping of the pizza will be a nondescript protein layer, this is the part I don’t know about but it is early days in the project.

The food printer is a way for people of the future to customize nutritionally appropriate meals for themselves. The powder for of protein also has the potential to shift our protein intake from animals to insects because in a powder form it is easier to stomach. This has the potential to create healthier foods, decrease the carbon emissions from livestock farming and solve the food shortage problem for the future earth inhabitants.

Looks like you or perhaps your children could be printing out pizza for dinner.